Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky is strategically focusing on India as a growth market due to the country's rapid digitalization and increasing cybersecurity demands. The company aims to expand its local teams and strengthen collaborations across various sectors, recognizing India as a key innovation hub and planning to increase its resources and research capabilities within the country.

Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for the India region at Kaspersky, mentioned that the company has tripled its workforce in India over the past two years, hiring new personnel in sales, pre-sales, and support roles. Global research teams based in India monitor over 900 advanced persistent threat (APT) groups daily, contributing to Kaspersky's global threat intelligence operations through GReAT (Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team). Kaspersky is investing in digital footprint intelligence (DFI) analysts to enhance services like brand monitoring and takedown operations.

Kaspersky is committed to developing local talent and is actively collaborating with government agencies and private sector entities to improve cybersecurity awareness and infrastructure. This includes engaging with state governments and nodal agencies like CERT-In to create cyber defense programs and training initiatives. Singh also lauded the Indian regulatory environment, noting the pragmatic nature of laws like the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) and robust guidelines from agencies such as the RBI and SEBI. The company anticipates further developments in AI regulation and is ready to collaborate with policymakers.

With the growing number of internet users, there is an increasing need for robust cyber technologies to protect internet-facing assets, mobile handsets, and operational technology (OT) systems. Kaspersky detects over 450,000 unique malware samples daily and uses AI and machine learning in its research and mitigation efforts. Singh emphasized the importance of creating a "cyber immune world" where systems are highly resistant to breaches, particularly in IT and OT environments.

Kaspersky has significantly increased its commitment to India in the last two years and views the country as an innovation hub and a center for collaboration with various agencies. The company sees great potential in being part of India's growth story and contributing to cyber resilience in the Indian market. In 2024, the Russian firm experienced double-digit growth in India.